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Jul312014

Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) today introduced a Senate resolution honoring Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete, World War II veteran and subject of the best-selling book “Unbroken.”

In addition to honoring Zamperini’s life, accomplishments and legacy, the resolution extends condolences on his passing and requests the president identify an appropriate and lasting government program that can honor Zamperini’s legacy.

“Subjected to brutal conditions as he fought for his country in World War II, Louis Zamperini is an American hero,” Feinstein said. “He showed us the importance of patriotism and resilience and I hope his example of forgiveness continues to inspire us.”

“Louis Zamperini is a true American hero whose remarkable story of service and sacrifice will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come,” McCain said.

Born in 1917 in New York, Zamperini represented the United States as a long-distance runner in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, graduated from the University of Southern California in 1940 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, eventually reaching the rank of captain.

Zamperini’s remarkable experience in the military during World War II was recounted in Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling book “Unbroken.” After his B-24 bomber malfunctioned, he survived for 47 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean before being captured and placed in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. After the war, Zamperini became an inspirational speaker.